The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Post-processing of digital photographs (also referred to herein as “digital images”) has become a standard part of photographic workflow. As digital cameras have become more powerful computers in their own right, post-processing on the digital camera is often performed to avoid the extra time and processes required in transferring the digital photograph to a separate computer. Examples of post-processing effects and filters which are available on digital cameras include brightness, contrast, color saturation, white balance, sepia conversion, nostalgia filter, and simulation of chemical film processing.
However, such post-processing, when performed on a camera, is done in relation to the entire image because of the inability to define an often irregular subset of a photograph without the larger screen, mouse, and other tools which are not available on cameras. Even on a computer with a larger screen, mouse, and enhanced zoom capabilities, selecting an area for application of post-processing functions is time-consuming, complex, requires many different steps, is not adapted for use of a touchscreen interface, and places additional burdens on the host computer.